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STARVED OF FOOD AND LOVE, ALLEGRA THE LURCHER BARES NO GRUDGES

Tuesday May 31, 2011

STARVED OF FOOD AND LOVE, ALLEGRA THE LURCHER BARES NO GRUDGESECONOMIC DOWNTURN CONTINUES TO BITE FOR IRELAND’S OLDEST WELFARE ORGANISATION

DSPCA rescue services saved an emaciated lurcher from a slow and painful death last weekend following calls from a concerned member of the public. Allegra the lurcher is just one of the many animals that the DSPCA had to rescue in the past week as Ireland’s economic downturn continues to bite.

“Allegra’s condition was heartbreaking,” Orla Aungier Operations Manager in the DSPCA said. “The two-year-old was days from death when the ambulance brought her back to the shelter on Saturday. Emaciated, suffering from mange and pressure sores, she had also recently had a litter of pups.

Brought in by Inspector Liam Kinsella, she was in obvious pain and need of urgent medical attention yet she greeted her new carers with licks and a wagging tail!”

A two-week-old puppy also bore the brunt of the downturn when the he was left to die in a carrier bag packed with old electrical equipment. Named Sparky by the care staff at the centre in Rathfarnham he is already acting like a livewire and is being cared for by one of the centre’s foster parents until he is old enough to be rehomed.

The DSPCA have reported a gruesome rise on the demand for their rescue services and are concerned those services are nearly stretched to capacity. Development Manager Lori Davis explained the situation the DSPCA finds themselves in:“The DSPCA relies on the generosity of the public for 95% of our funding. While people are still giving what they can, the demand on our services has jumped through the roof. Many of the animals don’t come to our attention until they are literally on their last legs so they need extensive veterinary care and sometimes around the clock attention. Today we are rescuing double the animals that we did in 2007.”

“Every life saved, every animal released or rehomed is a massive result for the DSPCA .We don’t think of the animals in our care in terms of money but we are conscious that the rise in animal neglect puts incredible pressure on our services and we dread the day we can’t provide enough to protect these animals.”

The DSPCA needs 1,000 new monthly supporters to cover the costs of increased demand. To give your support and help save lives, go to www.dspca.ie or ring 01-4994700

Luckily for Allegra the DSPCA was on hand and she is making progress. On a restricted feeding programme, requiring small amounts of food every two hours and being treated for mange, she is expected to make a full recovery. Last year the DSPCA cared for over 4,000 animals at its centre as well as thousands more at its mobile clinics. With no end in sight to the country’s economic conditions they expect this number to rise.

To see more of the good work done by DSPCA, log on to www.dspca.ie, or find them on facebook or twitter. To make a donation, simply call 01-4994700